January - March 1917

[January]  New Year 1917

 

1^st Jan. Monday. Cloudy, warmer; a sprinkle of rain. I stayed until afternoon. At Will Cox’s for the night.

2^d Tues. Cloudy. Sunshine before 10 a.m. At Walter Leslie’s for dinner; and at D^r Leslie’s tonight. Pleasant visits, warm receptions. The D^r is Walter’s father: they are Baptists.

 

3^d Wed. Cloudy. Mr. Taylor brot. me and his sister-in-law (Miss Florence Leslie) to Vass, in his auto. Dinner at D^r J.H. Matthis’ for supper and night at Mr. D.A. McLaughlin’s – Presbyterians.

 

 

4^th Thurs. Cloudy. Heavy dew. My visits are all pleasant. Dinner at Bob Thomas’s. Night at Prof. Duncan Matthews’ home. His brother, D^r M. brot. me out, in his buggy - about one mile.

 

5^th Friday  Cloudy and warm. Prof. M. gave me a check for five dollars which was a surprise, but gratefully received Came back, in a car, with Sam Smith. Took dinner at Clyde Thompson’s, the P.M. I married him to his wife, in 1912. Mazie their child is fond of me. Rainy and stormy, this p.m.

 

 

 

6^th Sat. Fair & colder. Quar Conf. at the Grove, this m.  Rev. Jno. H. Hall, P.E., came in for it. I left on the shoofly for Aberdeen. Joe Thompson, and Paul Davis met me, with his car.  Robey T. took me to his home for my headquarters. Miss Eva Graham has been here a week. She left this p.m. for home.

 

 

 

 

 

7^th Sunday  Fair and cooler We rode to town in Joe’s car. Robey, Fannie, and Paul, stopt at their ch – Bap. Joe, his two boys (Duncan and Wesley) and I went to our Meth. Church S.S. and service, F.S. Love, Pastor, preached. Dinner at Joe’s. All of us there. Tonight, Joe & Ora, Rob& Fannie, Paul and I attended our church service. Love preached again.

 

 

 

 

8^th Monday. Partly cloudy. Eclipse, last night, of the moon. I walked up town. Nothing worth recording, I believe.

 

9^th Tues. Fair. Left Aberdeen, this m. and came to Jackson Springs to visit Mr. John McAskill’s family, and especially Margaret (12. Jan. 31) A cordial welcome to me. Margaret came from school about 2:00 p.m. We went to the spring. She is a very sweet girl, and plays the piano well. She is smart, too.

 

 

 

10^th [Wed.] Mrs. Mc and I visited “Uncle Bunk” Johnson’s home, this m. Mrs. M. was taken with a severe sick headache, this p.m. I left on the night train on my return to Aberdeen. I spent the night at Joe Thompson’s. Joe is not at home.

 

 

11^th Thurs. Fair. The head of the bed tipt over on me, last night, I caught it before it got on me. Flurries of snow today.

12^th Friday  Fair and real cold. Goat a card from Vance T. saying his folks were expecting me in Hamlet, tonight. John Thompson and “J.W.” met me at the train, in Hamlet. I arrived a cordial welcome from all the family here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13^th [Saturday] Nothing special during the day. I walked up town.

14^th Sunday Cloudy. Vance, J. W. and I walked to our S S.. No service. M. H. Tuttle, P.C. was away. In the afternoon, Vance, J. W. and I went to see Mrs. Lizzie Benton. Her 2 girls (12 & 6) were in bed, with measles. John T. went to see his affianced - 18 months.

 

 

15^th Monday. Cloudy, drizzley. Came back to Aberdeen. Hired a car to Robey’s. Snow broth? or something, and sleet is falling.

 

16^th Tues. Cold and cloudy.  17^th Wed. Fairing off. Left Aberdeen on S. A. L. [Seaboard Air Line Railroad – passenger train] No. 12, and came to Vass again. Dan Smith met me with D^r Matthews’ car, and I am at the doctor’s for hdqrs. Mrs. Benson, wife of our pastor, here, died last night.

 

 

18^th Thurs. Cloudy. Dinner at Charlie Temple’s. I married him and his wife, January 1912. C. gave me $2.00, in bills, which is evidence of his friendship for me. Sunshine, this p.m. I am back at D^r Matthews for the night.  19^th [Friday] Partly cloudy. Dinner at Mr. J.A. Keith’s. They are Presbyterians. Am at Walter Graham’s for tonight. Have a warm welcome here, too.

 

 

 

 

20^th Sat. Cloudy. Some hail this m, early. Ate dinner at Mrs. Irene Byrd’s, and especially with dear Camilla (7). Back to A. Cameron’s tonight. Took a needed bath, tonight.

 

 

 

21^st Sunday. Rainy. Alton took me to S.S. at the Grove. Went in his car. Camilla Byrd was with us, by my request. Back home for dinner. Nothing else special.

 

22^d Monday. Cloudy and warm, and rain. Am spending the night at G.S. Edwards’, as promised.

 

23^d Tues. Cloudy. Dinner at Will Cox’s. Spending the night at Mrs. Irene Byrd’s, to be with Camilla.

 

24^th Wed. Cloudy and cooler. Camilla slept with me, last night. Dinner at Walter Graham’s. As the weather is so inclement. I am spending the aft. and night with them.

 

25^th Thurs. Cloudy.  Walter gave me a $5.00 bill, this morn’g. Dinner at the “Honorable's” -  W.J. Cameron’s. On leaving them, he handed me a V and said “You can stick this in your pocket”, and I did. Back at A. Cameron’s for the night.

 

 

26^th Fri. Fair and colder. Plenty of frost. Bro. C. took my suit case to the Bank, and got Neil McLain to take it in Mrs. McLaughlin’s car, to the station. I left Vass about 3 p.m. and came to Cameron, N. C.. Again at D^r Matthews’ home. Bro. Cameron walked with me to the Vass Station, and gave me the second $5.00 bill. He is a liberal Christian man.

 

 

 

 

27^th Sat. Fair and frosty. I rode in the car with D^r Matthews who had a call to Whitehall, and I went with him as far as to Henry Matthews. I stayed there until he returned from setting a broken arm for a negro. We stopt, at my request at Mr. Teague’s where I spent a few minutes with her family of her Mother and two children, Frankie & Reecie. They were glad to see me. I think. Frankie is 15 and large for her age. Reecie gave me a dollar as a present. I took it most reluctantly, but circumstances in the family trait forbade my refusing it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28^th Sunday Fair. Attended our S.S., and went to service in the Baptist Church. Rev. Fulbright, pastor, preached and afterwards resigned the charge of that church. Olivia, Ellen and I went for a walk, after dinner. At Mrs. Janie Muse’s tonight.

 

 

29^th Monday. Rain. Stayed until the afternoon. Went to the Baptist Church again, last night. Miss Jacksie Muse was my company to and from preaching. She is the first young lady I have asked for her company in many years. It is clearing, this p.m.

 

 

30^th Tuesday. Foggy, warm, and much dew. Walked part of the way to School with Ernestine and Olivia Matthews. Bro. J.B. Cameron came in for me to go to his house, this morning. I found a welcome there. The day has been a very fine one.

 

 

31^st Wednesday. Cloudy. About 4 p.m., Bro. Cameron kindly brot. me to Ed Thompson’s. Here I have another warm welcome by the whole family. Stacey has returned from Atlanta.

 

[February 1917]

Feb. 1^st Thursday. Partly fair. Ate dinner at Alsie Thompson’s. Stacey, who is now a barber, cut my hair, this evening. It has been thundering, hailing and raining this p.m.

 

 

2^d Friday. Cold, snow fell, last night. Stacey brought me to Cameron, this a.m. Rev. J.M. Benson came in from Vass, this m. We are at D^r Matthews home. Bro. B. is the pastor of the Vass Ct. [Circuit], and is here just for the day, he said.

 

 

 

3^d Sat. Fair and real cold. 8°, some one said. Another said 2°, another said the mercury was lost in the bulb: it is cold!  D^r Matthews left about noon 1 p.m., for a visit to his old home at East Bend, N. C. So cold, I have stayed in about all day.

 

 

4^th Sunday.  Fair and very cold again. Went to our S.S.. Was at service in the Presby. Church. Left just after the sermon. Olivia and I drove out to Mr. Tom Gaddy’s, about 2 miles, to see Myrtle, especially. The weather has moderated right much but it is windy. We returned to Cameron. I went around to Mrs. Muse’s to tell them goodbye. They are good friends of mine.

 

 

 

5^th Monday.  Fair. A light snow on the ground. I start on my way back to Hyde Co., this m. Train, No. 12 was an hour and 20 mins. late. Left at 11-10. In Raleigh. Am at the Hotel Wright. Bot a new suit-case, $10.00. I went to the State House and saw the House of Rep. in session, for my first time. Saw several I knew. Have a nice room at the Hotel.

 

 

 

 

6^th Tues. Clear and cold. Left Raleigh, at 6-1 a.m. over the N.&S  Road for Washington, NC. Am at W. [Washington] about 11-20, a.m. Came to Clyde Harrison’s home, again. I had a cordial welcome. They had invited guests for dinner & family relations. Up town, I learned no boats were running, on account of ice over the river. No boat in from Swanquarter. I must wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7^th Wednes. Fair and cold. Warmer, later, and overcast. Faired off during the day. No boat is from Hyde County, today.

 

8^th Thurs. Warmer, and cloudy. A meeting of the pastors of the Washington Dist. is being held at the District parsonage, today. I attended. No preachers in from Hyde. About 14 pastors were present. Dinner at Mrs. C.G. Morris’s with their guests, Rev S.T. Mogle. At the afternoon session. It is warmer and cloudy. No boat in from Hyde yet.

 

 

 

 

9^th Friday. Cloudy. Rain last night. Snow this p.m. preceded by rain: dark clouds. No snow laid. Sunshine after snow. Cleared off. Cold.

 

10^th Saturday. Clear and cold. Capt. Thad Brown, is here, from Swanqr. with his boat - the Mot. Said would leave at 3 a.m. tonight. Rev R. R. Grant of S. Qr. is here, came in with the boat. Took a bath this m. in my room. At supper, I had a phone call. Grant told me the boat would leave at 7-30, tonight. I hurried down. We left the wharf at about 8-23, ar. at S. Qr. about 3-10, a.m. Cloudy.

 

 

 

 

 

11^th Sunday. Cloudy and cold. I took a room at the Lupton Hotel, as Mamie has my key. Grant preached, this morn. I was there. No service tonight. I ate dinner at Mamie’s and took supper at W.B. Swindell’s Hotel, tonight.

 

 

 

 

12^th Monday. Fair - Cold - Windy. Nothing to record.

13^th Tues. Fair and warmer. Dinner at W.B.S’s Hotel. Went to Grant’s this evening, and stayed till mail time.

 

14^th Wed. Fair and warmer. Lila Ruth Lamb is spending several hours with me; ate dinner with her, glad to say.

 

15^th Thursday. Nothing to record today. All is quiet.

16^th Friday. about the same as yesterday. Nothing to rec^d.

17^th Sat. Partly cloudy. Auction sale of Chas. Brinn’s goods; he has failed. I bought a few articles there.

 

18^th Sun. Rainy. Mrs. Lupton came to my room and invited me to breakfast on mullets. I went. Attended S.S.. Dinner at Bob Tunnell’s, by invitation. Service at night, by Grant, P.C. I attended the service.

 

 

 

19^th Monday. Nothing to record, today, I am very sure.

20^th Tues. Cloudy. Warm. Thunder about 10 a.m., followed by rain. Getting darker. More rain. Cloudy. At 5-20 p.m., I have finished copying in this diary, the events from Dec. 18th to today. I left this book at house, forgetting it, and had to keep the record on legal copy paper. I began copying after breakfast, and now I am through, I am glad to say. My eyes are strained, and it has given me some headache from the strain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

21^st Wed. We have sunshine at last, so glad to say. Cloudy again, this afternoon. Ate dinner with Mamie about 4 p.m. Prayer meeting tonight. Grant came home with me. It has been raining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

22^d Thurs. Washington’s Birthday. It is a Holliday. Fair this morn’g.

23^d Fri. Fair, this m. Cloudy, this evening. Nothing else.

24^th Sat. Fair, etc. this m. Dinner at Mamie’s Bath in the eve. Rained.

25^th Sunday. Clouds and sunshine. At our S.S.. Went to service at the Baptist Church, ate dinner at W.B. Swindell’s Hotel. Fair. Attended service again at the Baptist Church, tonight. Spent a while, after the service with the pastor, Rev. H.B. Hines. He announced that next fourth Sunday would close his work, here. Told me, in his home, he was going to Spring Hope Church, the first of April. Am to dine with his family, D.V. [Deo Volente - Latin for "God willing"] next Sunday. It is fair, and the moon shines.

 

 

 

 

26^th Mon. A pleasant day.   27th Tues. Fair and springlike. Mr. Inglis, photographer, came in and spent awhile this morning.

28^th Wed. Cloudy and warm. Mr. Inglis brot.a knife & scissors sharpener for me to use as a demonstrator. I went out and got four orders. We each get ½ profit. Sold one more, this p.m.

 

[March 1917]

March 1^st Thurs.  Rainy this m.   2^d [Friday] Cloudy 48° at 7-30 a.m. I spent the day at Mamie’s. It has been an inclement day.

 

3^rd Sat. Cloudy all day. Nothing worth recording, today.

4^th Sunday.  “Just a little sunshine”, this morning. 8-30 a.m. there was a heavy rain while we were in Sunday School and there were several showers afterwards, and also while I was at service in the Baptist Church. Dinner with Pastor Hines, as promised last Sunday. Sunshine this afternoon. The p.m., I came home, got several pieces of my music, and took them to Mrs. Hines to play - she is a teacher of music. Cloudy now 6-25 p.m. H. went to Rose Bay to preach, right after dinner. At our church tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5^th Mon. Stormy and rain, about 1 a.m. Some sunshine, this morn’g. Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, today, his second term.

 

 

6^th Tues. Fair and cold - 40° at 6-45, a.m. Fair all day.

7^th Wed. Fair. 40° at 8 a.m. John made and brought, my dining table, this p.m. No charge. I went to prayer meetings tonight; after which, I went home with Bro. Hines, and his wife played selections, and we sang some sacred songs.

 

 

8^th Thur. Very cloudy, some rain, early. The 2^d District Convention of Odd Fellows, is to meet here, this p.m. Session this p.m. I acted as Chaplain. Open session at Court House tonight - speeches of welcome & response, and talks by S.S. Mann, & Rev. C L. Read, P.E. I ate supper by invitation, at the Lupton Hotel. After the “Open Session”, we returned to the Lodge room, several ladies gave us music and served cake and cream. After receiving W.L. Spencer to the 1^st and 2^d degrees, the Lodge adjourned and cov.ended.

 

 

 

 

 

9^th Fri. Fair. 52° at 9 a.m. 1^st Qr Conf. here today. Read, P.E. Service by the Elder, followed by the Conf. dinner at the parsonage. Grant and Read left for Fairfield, this p.m. I am to hold services here, Sunday morning and at Rosebay in the afternoon, D.V.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10^th Sat. Fair. Nothing special. The day has been pleasant.

11^th Sunday Partly fair. In the absence of the teacher - Willie Credle, I taught the Wesley Bible Class. I preached this morning, for Grant who is with the P.E. – Read. Ate dinner at Chas. A. Jones. A negro man - Cain Spencer, took me, over a very rough road, to Rose Bay where I also filled Grant’s apt.  In this Ch. (R. Bay), we were 14 in number. It is now cloudy and windy. Service tonight by Read – the P.E.

 

 

 

 

12^th Mon.  Cloudy, and warm. Dewey Mason (18) came in for me about 1-30, to go out to see two sick men - Jim Cooper and “Mit” Mason. He brought me back home this evening. Fairing off.

 

13^th Tues. Cloudy and colder. Rain at 10 a.m. Cloudy all day. I have spent most of the day in writing to various friends.

 

14^th Wed. Cloudy and warmer. Rainy before noon. Went to the parsonage for potatoes & Lard for which he charged me nothing. Value of potatoes 14¢, the lard @ 22¢ = 71^1/2 Both 85¢. Cr. Preaching.

 

15^th Thurs. Foggy, followed by clearing, Mamie came around this m. I painted the dining table and the two doors, here. Mamie and Mrs. Fenner Cherry [Ebbie Ursula Mason] came around to see me tonight.

 

16^th Fri. Cloudy. There was a “Musical” given by Mrs. Hines and her class, in the Academy last night. I went with her.

 

17^th Sat. Cloudy. Some warmer. A gracious surprise came to me, about 1-40 p.m. Mr. William Bonner and his son, Mr. Claud Bonner, brought me a “pounding” of 4 doz. eggs (minus one), sweet potatoes.- about a peck, a jar of preserves, and a pkg. of “Mother’s Oats”. I suppose this is the result of a hint I let drop at the pounding they gave the pastor, R.R. Grant, some time ago. I knelt in prayer, after they left (as they would not come in) and thanked the Lord for this kindness to me. It is rainy and windy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18^th Sunday. Fair. Gave Mamie a dozen of my pounding eggs. Went to S.S. Ate dinner at A.B. Berry’s, for the first time. We Odd Fellows went out about 4 miles to bury the Secretary of the Lodge, here, “Jim” Cooper. Service at the house by Mr. Henderlite, Presbyterian minister, and marched to the grave and went thru the ritual service of the Order. I acted as Chaplain. I rode, both ways, with Mr. Alec Berry, A.B. Berry and S.S. Mann. The cold wind made it unpleasant for us all, I think. Went to see Bro. Bob Tunnell, this p.m. He is sick. I remained for supper at Mrs. Tunnell's [Zudie Jones Tunnell] request. At church, tonight, Grant preached a good sermon. It was on consecration of [unrecognizable word], hand, and foot. He scathingly denounced gambling, doping and card playing. It was needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19^th Mon. Fair - Cold - 40° at 6-30 a.m. Dinner at Mamie’s home.

20^th Tues. Cloudy. 55° at 7-18. Went to the Baptist Pars. tonight.

21^st Wed. Rainy. Grant came in about 12-30. Rainy all day. No prayer meeting tonight. D^r L. H. Swindell (Plum) and Miss Margaret Mann were married, this evening, by Rev. R R. Grant. Was a surprise. I was real glad to get letter from Vass and from Cameron, tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22^d Thurs. Fair this p.m. I went to see Bro. Lewis H. Swindell, as I heard he was sick. Grant came in soon after. On our way back, Grant said he was going to have Rev. & Mrs. Hines with them for dinner, next Saturday, and asked me to go, too. I accepted saying that was my birthday. Will be 57. The day has been fair.

 

 

23^d Fri. Fair. A little cool. Cloudy in the evening.

24^th Sat. 1860-1917 = 57 years old today. It is warm, cloudy and blustery, this morning. Mamie sent me some butter, by “John Madison”. I gave him a penny. After a bit, he came back and brought me a piece of candy saying, “Grandpapa, you want this?”  I got enough.” I asked if he knew this was my birthday. He said, “Is this your birthday? How old are you?” I said, “57”. He looked amazed and said, “Good gracious!” and off he went. He is seven years old. For my breakfast, I had postum, corn-flakes, eggs, biscuit and st. potato, and tomatoes. It is raining now (8-12 a.m.) . Kind of a drizzle rain. I have been to the parsonage, and ate a good dinner; on account of the disagreeable day, Bro. Hines and family did not go, and so I was the only guest. This has been, and is yet, a very rough day. It is raining now, 5-10 p.m. It is fair tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25^th Sunday. Fair and colder. At S.S.. At service in the Baptist Church. Dinner with Mr. Alec Berry. He and I went to see Mr. Bob Tunnell who is sick. Tonight, I attended service in the Baptist Church; it was the last service of Rev. H. B. Hines pastorate here. He is to move to Springhope, and to begin his pastoral there, this week. There was a large congregation out tonight. After service, I went home with Rev. Hines, my last visit there. His wife played some music she ordered for me, two pieces: “Falling Waters”, and Alpine Glow”. I offered, or asked the charges; they insisted on no charge, and I reluctantly accepted them as a present and also a small bottle of jelly, both of which I greatly appreciate. I had prayer with them and came home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

26^th Monday. Fair and some warmer. Increasing cloudiness, and cloudy, more or less, all day. Looks likely for rain.

27^th Tues. Rain: rained most of the night. Bro. Hines came to see me this afternoon. The weather was too bad for him and his family to go off on the boat, this m. They are to leave in the m. D.V. [God willing] I ate an oyster supper, by invitation at Rev. R.R. Grant’s.

 

 

28^th Wed. Fair and cooler. I conducted the lesson (116 Ps) at Prayer Meeting, tonight. After this, we learned, with deep sorrow, that Mrs. W.B. [Wm. Benners] Swindell (Miss Emma) had a stroke of paralysis. I went in.

 

29^th Thurs. Fair and windy. 5 ms to 3, I have been out to Mrs. Joe [Joseph Madison] Rayburn’s for dinner.  [Mrs. Rayburn was born Theresa Spain Lupton [[sister of Mr. Silas Lupton of the Hotel. This Rayburn branch of the family settled on spelling it Raburn.] Mrs. Swindell is better. Spent three or more hours at Mr. Bob Tunnell’s this p.m. I ate no supper, as I felt too full.

 

30^th Fri. Fair and cool. Mrs. S. [Swindell] about the same. Kept alive with digitalis and strychnine. Mamie gave me some fresh sausage and three eggs. At a debate, tonight. Govt. ownership of rail-roads. The negative, of Sladesville, won: a Mr. O’Neal, and Miss Dell Cutler. Mrs. Swindell is still in extremis. I went in to see her, tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31^st Sat. Fair, pleasant. Mrs. S. “is still holding on” to life, but is hopeless. Later - She died about 10 a.m. Will be burried tomorrow.